Members of Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community gathered to remember our courageous sisters who gave their lives for justice in their service of the poor in El Salvador.

We prayed at Jean Marie Donovan's grave in Sarasota this evening. Our service began with singing: Be not Afraid and then we prayed:

"Today we honor a dedicated lay woman. , missionary and martyr, whose memory must never be forgotten. As the great Ignatius of Antioch once said, "It is in the blood of martyrs we find the seeds of faith." Let our faith be nourished as we gather before the earthly remains of our sister, and our desire be enkindled to follow in like commitment to the death."

We reflected on the courage of the four church women and prayed that they may rest in peace. Our concluding hymn was "We are called to act with justice, we are called to love tenderly, we are called to serve one another, to walk humbly with God."(See scanned service below photos)

Presider: Like our ancestors, we honor the cycles and the seasons
that remind us of the ever-changing flow of life of which we are a part. Ritual
acts give life meaning – they honor and acknowledge the unseen web of Life that
connects us all.

ALL: Hope, like a seed buried deep within the earth; hidden, covered by
layers of disappointment, struggle and pain; buried yet stretching, growing and
becoming. Hope, like a seed becoming new life. We light a candle for hope.

Presider:lights candle

We light this first candle
and remember the Holy One, our Mother, who created light and life out of
darkness by loving. The dark shadow of space leans over us and we are
mindful that the darkness of greed, exploitation, and hatred also lengthens its
shadow over our small planet Earth.

ALL: Loving God, as we
begin our Advent pilgrimage, grant us the courage to hope.

Hope for your
presence.

Hope for your peace.

Hope for your
promise.

Let us kindle the
light of hope! Amen

Gathering Song: You Come, You Come Emmanuel

You come, you come, Emmanuel,
You gather all who stumbled and fell.

You share your life, you share your
love;

Your dawn breaks forth in wondrous light
above.

Refrain:
Rejoice, rejoice, O people of the earth! In God's great love we comprehend our
worth!

You come, with grace, O Source of Light,

You teach us to find courage in the
night.

Your way is justice, mercy and peace,

Your wisdom is the path to true release.
Refrain.

OPENING PRAYER

Presider: Nurturing God, you became human in Jesus and showed us
how to live life to the fullest. You know what it means to laugh and cry, walk
and talk, love and be loved. We know that your mothering presence is always
with us. May we, like Mary, live in hope and expectation of your coming and may
we recognize your presence within us in everything we say and do. ALL: Amen

ALL: Glory to God in the highest, and peace to God’s people on earth. O
loving God, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. O
Jesus Christ, holy child of our loving God; you fill us with joy in your
presence. You who are with our God, receive our prayer. For you alone are the
Holy One; you alone are Messiah. You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ;
with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God. Amen.

Last week we celebrated the end
of the Liturgical year A. and today we begin year B. The operative word there
is Begin.Yes, beginnings are full of
all kinds of emotions.Fear,
uncertainty, joy, anticipation, discomfort, relief. These can be experienced as
we search for or begin a new job, a few months before retirement, months before
the birth of a child. In all of these
beginnings, there are elements of preparation, and waiting.

Here we are again in
Advent.And we know it culminates in the
celebration of Christmas.As we mature
we tend to engage in reminiscing about Christmases past. For some they have
pleasant memories and for others of us they may have been visited by unpleasant
life happenings.

In preparing for this Advent,I
began to reminisce on the countless Advent seasons in my lifetime. I remembered
when we were not allowed to sing Christmas carols until Midnight Mass and when
there were no decorations until a few days before the Birth of Jesus. No need
for me to expound on all the signs of Christmas surrounding us for several
months now.

So now I ask, what does
Advent mean to me now, at this time?How
do I muddle through all these distractions to the real preparation and
searching for Jesus in my midst?

For some ideas let us unwrap
a bit of the messages found in today’s readings.Maya Angelou begins with a description of the
darkness that nature is capable of bestowing on us. And yet into this climate
of fear and apprehension, Hope is born. It rides on our shoulders and spreads
around the earth.And peace, which at
first is experienced as a whisper, becomes louder and louder until it becomes
louder than the explosion of bombs! We are challenged to look at our world and
speak the word aloud. Peace.

Paul reminds us that God,
through whom we have been called into intimacy with Jesus, is faithful.And we have been given the gifts of the
spirit to achieve that intimacy. As we recall the litany of gifts we received
at confirmation- namely, wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, courage,
reverence, and wonder, it can seem like we might not have opened some of those
gifts. Ah, but I have come to understand that if we do not unwrap those gifts
they remain useless, my sisters and brothers. As Alice Camille says: “The full
complement of gifts is in us ready to serve.” She suggests: “Why not organize
the spiritual gifts as they are utilized in our lives, from greatest to least.”
And then look at what’s at the bottom
and how we can open that gift for service?If Wisdom- find a mentor. If Knowledge- read a spiritual book or take a
class and so on.

In the Gospel, we heard: “Be
watchful, be alert! You do not know when the time will come.”

The watchfulness that Jesus
speaks about in today’s gospel is not about waiting in dread, nor is the object
of our vigilance unknown. It is rather the attentive listening for the familiar
footsteps of the returning beloved.Waiting for the return of a long-expected loved one can seem impossibly
long. Think of how you feel when your loved one, who has been away from you for
whatever reason, is expected to arrive at any moment, and then that beloved is
at the door! And we are ready with open arms. (Story of son Drew)

Let us pledge this Advent
season to be aware, awake and alive. To lift our gaze and notice what is around
us. Let us listen to the person talking to us. This very day Jesus wants to
come into our homes and into our hearts and consciousness. It is our choice
whether or not to let him be born here. Do we see and hear him?

Be still and listen.

Questions to ponder for
Advent

·How can I find and share Peace with the world?

·What spiritual gift(s) do I want to unwrap during this
season?

·How can I begin or continue to respond to the call to
intimacy with Jesus?

Profession of Faith: ALL: We believe in God who is Creator and nurturer
of all. We believe in Jesus, the Christ, who is our love, our hope, and our
light. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the breath of Wisdom Sophia, who
energizes us and guides us to build caring communities and to challenge
injustices. We believe in the communion of saints our heavenly friends, who
support us on life’s journey. We believe in the partnership and equality of
women and men in our church and in the world. We believe that all are one in
the community of creation. We believe that God calls us to live fully, love
tenderly, and serve generously. Amen

GENERAL INTERCESSIONS

Presider: Into our troubles and weaknesses,

Into the barren
places of our souls, Come loving God,

ALL: Come
down, come in, come among us and make us whole.

Presider: Into the war torn and the refugee,

Into those who
live in conflict, Come loving God,

ALL: Come
down, come in, come among us and make us whole.

Presider: Into the homeless and the unemployed,

Into those who
feel abandoned, Come loving God,

ALL: Come
down, come in, come among us and make us whole.

Presider: Into the sick and the disabled,

Into those with Ebola
and with cancer, Come, loving God.

ALL: Come
down, come in, come among us and make us whole.

Presider: Into the poor and the starving,

Into those who are
oppressed or abused, Come loving God.

ALL: Come
down, come in, come among us and make us whole.

Presider: Into the lives of loved ones,

Into those from whom
we are estranged, Come loving God.

ALL: Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.

Presider: Into our joys and celebrations,

Into our work and
our achievements, Come, loving God.

ALL: Come
down, come in, come among us and make us whole.

Presider: O Christ we long for your coming. Hasten that day when those who seek
you in every nation will come from the east and the west, from the north and
the south and sit at table in Your Kindom. Hasten the day when your Kindom will
come in all its glory and suffering and pain and sickness and oppression and
death will be overcome forever. Hasten the day when we will be resurrected as a
great multicultural family and live in peace, harmony, joy and love together in
your kindom.

~ written by Christine Sine on Godspace for the 1st Sun of Advent

Offertory Hymn: Open the Eyes of my Heart (Pulse Praise
Band)

Open
the eyes of my heart, God

Open
the eyes of my heart;

I
want to see You; I want to see You.

Open
the eyes of my heart, God

Open
the eyes of my heart;

I
want to see You; I want to see You.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

To
see You high and lifted up,

Shining
in the light of Your glory.

Pour
out Your power and love;

As
we sing holy, holy, holy...

To
see You high and lifted up,

Shining
in the light of Your glory.

Pour
out Your power and love;

As
we sing holy, holy, holy...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Holy,
holy, holy, Holy, holy, holy

Holy,
holy, holy, I want to see You.

Holy,
holy, holy, Holy, holy, holy

Holy,
holy, holy, I want to see You.

PREPARATION
OF THE GIFTS

Presider: Blessed are you, God of all life. Through your goodness we have bread,
wine, all creation, and our own lives to offer. Through this sacred meal may we
become your new creation.ALL:Blessed be God forever.

Presider: God is with you.ALL: And also with you.

Presider: Let us lift up our hearts.ALL: We lift them up to God.

Presider: Let us give thanks and praise to our God.

(Please join
us around the table of life)

CALLED TO WORSHIP (BEGINNING OF ADVENT)

Voice One: In the midst of frenzied shopping and
end-of-year weariness,

we spread
out a purple cloth, (a purple cloth is spread over the communion table)

read again
the ancient stories, (a Bible is placed on the table)

and light a
candle in the darkness, (a candle is placed and lit) to celebrate a visitation.

Voice Two: Gathered here we declare our intention to
live as if the greatest gift in the world were about to be placed into our hands,
(a wrapped parcel is laid on the table),

and as if
the Giver has understood our deepest needs, our most heartfelt prayers.

Voice Three: Like Mary, may we be surprised by our
calling;

like Simeon
and Anna, may the years increase our faith;

like sleepy
shift workers on a hillside, may our eyes be opened;

like Joseph
may we listen to our dreams;

for this
season requires our creative imagination.

Voice Four: There is a Presence in our world that asks
to be seen, who will stay awake?

There is one
coming to our world that seeks a welcome, who will offer hospitality?

Even now
Jesus the Christ is moving towards us.

(written by Ann Siddall, posted on the Stillpoint
Spirituality Centre and Faith Community)

Song:
Prepare ye the way of our God (repeat)

EUCHARISTIC PRAYER

Voice One: Mothering God, you brought forth
all creation from your Life-Giving Womb. O Love of the Ages, we praise you and
leap for joy in your presence.

Voice Two: Holy One of ancient Israel, you
revealed yourself in Mary’s womb, in a shining star, in humble shepherds, in a
baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. You embrace us with infinite love in every
situation and relationship. You dwell in the depths of our hearts.

Voice Three: We invite you this day to
deepen our awareness of your boundless love as we gather around the table of
abundant life. With grateful hearts, we proclaim your praise.

ALL: Holy, Holy, Holy, Creator of heaven and earth. All
beings are pregnant with your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed are you
who dwell in all things. Hosanna in the highest.

Voice Four: Praise to you all-giving God,
born of Mary. You are the
body and blood of woman. We glorify you, nurturing God for the dawning of the sacred
promise of God’s Anointed, fulfilled in Jesus, the Christ.

Voice Five: We celebrate the birth of Jesus Our newborn
Emmanuel, who came to give us the fullness of life. During this holy season, we
share the bread of freedom and lift the cup of salvation.

(raise hands toward bread and wine for the Invocation of the Holy
Spirit)

ALL: Come Holy Spirit deepen
your Presence within us and in these gifts of bread and wine, that they may
become the body of Christ.

Presider: As Jesus gave birth to the New Covenant, he
took the bread and shared it with all who were present saying:

ALL: Take this all of you and
eat it. This is my body.

Presider: Then Jesus took a cup of wine, blessed you,
Loving God, and the cup with all those who were present saying:

ALL: Take this all of you and
drink from the covenant, poured out for you and for everyone. Do this in memory
of me.

Presider: Let us proclaim the sacred presence of our
nurturing God.

ALL: Christ, by your life,
death and rising, you have blessed us with abundance that will never end.

Second Invocation of the Holy Spirit: (Place a hand on the shoulder of
the person to your left and your
right)

ALL: God of all people, you
call us “beloved.” Give us courage to accept your faith in us and to live your
compassion in the world. You infuse us with Sophia, Holy Wisdom, to serve you
in the last and the least.

Voice Six: As we wait with joyful hearts for the
fulfillment of your loving presence in our lives, we remember, the prophets,
martyrs and saints who have gone before us: Deborah, Isaiah, Mary of Magdala,
Peter, Martha, Bishop Oscar Romero, Ita Ford, Maura Clark, Jean Donovan and all
those we remember as heroes and heroines in our church who inspire us today.

(Community names whom they want to remember living and dead.)

Voice Seven: God of our dreams, may we give birth to
the Word Made Flesh in us every day. May we give birth to the church of our
dreams

and hopes. May we give birth to a deep reverence for earth and live in
harmony with all creatures on the earth.

ALL: Through
Christ, with Christ, in Christ, all praise and Glory are yours, Holy God,
through the power of the Holy Spirit.Amen

THE
PRAYER OF JESUS

ALL: Our Father and Mother….

THE
SIGN OF PEACE

Presider: Let us join hands and hearts and pray for peace in our world as we sing
“peace is flowing like a river”, love, joy, alleluia

LITANY
FOR THE BREAKING OF BREAD

ALL: Loving God, you call us to speak truth
to power.

We
will do so.

Loving
God, you call us to live the Gospel of peace and justice.

We will do so.

Loving God.you call us to be
your presence in the world.

We
will do so.

Presider: This is Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, loving
us forever. All are invited to partake of this sacred banquet of love.

ALL: May we be who we are, The
Body of Christ.

Presider: Let us share the Body of Christ with the
Body of Christ.

ALL: AMEN

.

COMMUNION SONG: INSTRUMENTAL

POST COMMUNION SONG: Hills of
the North Rejoice (Brotherhood of Hope)

PRAYER
AFTER COMMUNION

Presider: God of new beginnings, thank you for
nourishing us in your sacrament. May your tender presence continue to open our
hearts to the daily miracles of life that surround us each day, through Emmanuel,
God-with-us.ALL: AMEN

INTRODUCTIONS,
GRATITUDES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

CONCLUDING
RITE

Presider: Our God is with you. ALL: and also with you.

BLESSING

(Everyone please extend your hands in mutual blessing)

ALL: May our loving God fill
us with radiant joy. May our liberating God fill us with deep peace, and may
our compassionate God bless us always with strength to serve the broken and
excluded. Amen

Presiders: As we leave here in the peace of Christ and
the joy of God, let us be the joyful and compassionate people that God created
us to be. And let our service continue!